How I Learn Spanish in Less Than A Year
Well, kind of.
At 9 months in the learning process, I’m currently at a level where I can understand what is written (except specific vocabulary), understand relatively good what is said (except if the speed is faster than sound itself), and my written and spoken Spanish is low compared to the rest but acceptable.
Out of boredom
Prague, May 2018
I was finishing my semester abroad and I had 3 exams left to do. I was bored and I didn’t want to study anymore. What a better time to completely ignore my responsibility and do something else. Why not learn Spanish instead since I was planning to travel over there later that summer? I stopped studying and started learning Spanish (and how to learn a language).
What came about in my search for “the best way to learn a language” was the article made by Tim Ferriss about learning the structure of a language, comparing basic sentences structures from your mother tongue to the targeted language, and figuring out how it is used. It was good but not particularly useful.
Because I went to Serbia for a week, I was intrigued by the Cyrillic alphabet and how each letter sounds. I was introduced to the International Phonetic Alphabet which describes the different spoken language under the same standard.
I applied the same logic to Spanish and I was glad to discover that Spanish’s phonetic is straightforward and simple. Each letter corresponds to a sound, with the exception of “ch”, “ll” which both are considered letters. Except for a few letters which are “difficult” to pronounce, the phonetics of the language is extremely easy to learn. The exception being “r”, “j”, “g”, “ll”, and “y”. There is also the concept of soft and hard sound which only means how strong you pronounce it, but it is irrelevant to the subject.
Testing languages applications (1–2 months)
Ultimately, as I was learning the proper pronunciation of words, I got into applications like Duolingo or Mondly. It didn’t last long until I left these platforms as they bored me, and the whole “testing” part was frustrating me. I always felt that exams, or test for that matter, are a complete waste of time. I don’t want to optimize my life for test taking but for the language.
Another problem with these apps is the focus on vocabulary, word after word rather than the context. Words are never found alone; they are not independent. They are always in context and interrelation with one another which mean they will vary and change depending on the situation. If the focus is made on the context (whole sentence), you are going to start recognizing patterns, like the way adjectives or verb tenses are used and learn the language better and faster.
While searching for a better type of learning, I stumble upon Steve Kaufman on Youtube, who created an app LingQ. This is what I needed, but I didn’t know it yet. Tried it, but fast enough, I hit the paywall and since I didn’t have money at that time I forgot about it.
Real Learning (about 2–3 months)
In the end, I did end up paying for the service when they offered the first month for 1$. I said to myself: “Why not?”. From there I got a good grasp and understanding of the language in around 3 months.
So how does LingQ work and why did I enjoy it so much? The main idea behind this app is about Comprehensible Input which means getting as much input as possible while being easy enough to be comprehensible and understandable. The site is focused heavily on reading and listening and there is no test constraint if you want to go further. You read whatever you want whenever you want. You created a bank of words, the one you know and the one you don’t, and build your language skill with that. The more often you read, and more regularly you see the word, the easier it gets. If you see a word often enough, it has no choice but to sink in.
There were 2 words that kept me confused for a while which was llegar (to arrive) and llevar (to carry). Both very similar word, but with a completely different meaning. It took me around a month, maybe 2, of constant exposure before my brains finally clicked and where I could recognize them without any effort. I didn’t actively “memorize them”. I just got enough exposure.
Basically, what I did is read a lot, listen as much as I could, and stacked up words. For one to two months, I was obsessed with it, spending up to 3 hours a day on Spanish alone. I kept reading and rereading sentences, and kept getting new insight each time.
What often happens, maybe 4 or 5 times, in my learning process was the plateau. Sometimes, I didn’t see any progress, even if I was working on it every day. On occasion, I had the impression I was losing “knowledge”, but if I was patient enough, what happened each time, was a sort of click in my head, where everything I was struggling with, all started to make sense. It’s very strange how it happens but my brain managed to make all the connections necessary for me to understand.
This is basically the extent of what I did. Read a lot, listen to things you can understand and try, from time to time, to go beyond your present capacity and competency e.g. trying intermediate text even if you are a beginner.
Here are some principals and techniques for language learning which help me. I will put more detail into them in the near future.
- Forget about grammar, especially in the beginning (maybe first 3 months)
- Start reading books. I know it can be scary, but you got to do it.
- Switch your entertainment to your target language (at least most of it)
- Change your phone settings to your target language. You need exposure.
- Write. Translate your writing, someone else writing, or rewrite a whole book. It doesn’t matter. You need practice.
- Find a tutor (I still haven’t done that)
Thanks for reading if you made here. If you like this essay, gently press the hand for a long and satisfying moment, or don’t if you didn’t like it. And if you are interested in seeing more to follow me, and follow the publication. New essay every week.
